When one gets right down to it, the last thing the Rahmers wanted was to see their children climb into a race car.
But now that the ship has sailed, Fred understands how things transpired as they did.
Talking about Freddie, he admitted, “It was too much to ask him not to do it, because he helped me on my car pretty much since he was eight years old. So, we were screwed from the get-go.
“Sometimes I can‘t even watch, but it is the same for everybody. You get them the best safety stuff you can, hope for the best, and go from there.” Then, in typical style, Fred adds, “But if he is going to do it, I want him to do it up to his full potential.”
Freddie is very aware that his parents are in agony when they watch him perform.
“It is harder on my dad than it was when he raced,” Freddie added. “We all know the dedication it takes to run, the cost, and the risks of getting hurt. It‘s pretty stressful. I don‘t know if they really enjoy themselves until the night is over, or at least until the track slows down.
“It‘s pretty tough, especially if it is like Port Royal, when it is a Mach 1 track. It was different for my dad when he was racing, because he was in control. So, I think my mom and dad are on the verge of being sick all the time, which stinks to put them in that situation. But racing also means a lot to our family, and what is neat is that we all do it together. I used to go with Dad all the time in the motorhome, and I am around people I grew up with. They are all good people, so there are a lot of pluses.”
For Freddie, it all began with a go-kart at Hunterstown Speedway in Gettysburg, but things got a lot more serious when he moved to the SpeedSTRs at Grandview Speedway when he was 14 years old.
In many ways a SpeedSTR is like a spec midget, with plenty of zip. With a series of races that included stops at places as diverse as Path Valley, Kutztown, and Williams Grove, a national champion was determined based on a driver’s best finishes over 15 shows.
Rahmer got his first win at Williams Grove, a huge thrill given it came in front of so many people who had been a part of his life. In 2003, his last full year in the series, he was named the national champion.
Looking back at those formative years, Freddie said, “They were really good cars to learn in. They were good fun.”
What made it even more enjoyable, and instructive, is the quality of competition he faced. In SpeedSTRs he competed against the likes of Billy Pauch Jr. and Sr., as well as modified legend Kenny Brightbill.
But it was clearly time to move on. Decision time was at hand, but by this point the next step seemed inevitable.
“When I started racing, my mom didn‘t want me to race sprint cars,” Freddie recalled. “So, we talked to Rick Eckert and Gary Stuhler, who are friends of ours. Then we realized how expensive late models were and that all kind of stopped. Their suspensions are way more technical than our cars, they are very interesting, and they get around really well. We just knew that was something we couldn‘t do.”
Concentrating his efforts at Lincoln Speedway, Freddie got his feet wet during the 2015 season. By the late summer of 2016 the Rahmer family was in for a big treat.
On Aug. 30, Brandon won his first 410 sprint race at Lincoln, holding off Brian Montieth. Then a week later it was Freddie‘s turn.
Sitting fourth with just two circuits left, he found the bottom of the track to his liking, and when he crossed the stripe he was among a four-car pack.
The fans were ecstatic, and later Freddie admitted that his brother‘s success the week before provided a measure of motivation.
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